Dates vs. Tennessee, Vandy highlight 08-09 hoops schedule

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee men's basketball fans won't have far to travel to watch their favorite team with the first nine games being played within a 30-mile radius of Murfreesboro, including seven at home, to start the 2008-09 season.

The 2008-09 schedule, released Friday, is highlighted with games against six postseason teams from last season, including non-conference dates against SEC foes Tennessee and Vanderbilt, which are on the schedule in the same season for the first time. All told, the schedule includes six teams that were in the postseason last year.

Seven of the first nine regular-season games are at the Murphy Center and the other two are in Nashville against Vanderbilt and Belmont. The Blue Raiders don't travel outside the mid-state for a basketball game until they play in the Missouri State Exempt Tournament, Dec. 20-22.

"If you are a Middle Tennessee basketball fan it's a great schedule to be able to watch your team play," Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis said. "We are excited about the schedule and we understand it is going to be a challenge even for an experienced team but I know our players are excited," Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis said. "I think our fans are getting great quality. Last year our non-conference schedule was ranked the No. 1 non-conference schedule in the country and I believe this year's schedule will be one of the toughest as well."

The Vanderbilt series marks the start of a five-year deal that will see the Blue Raiders play three times at Vanderbilt (2008, 2009, 2011), once at Murphy Center (2010) and once at the Sommet Center (2012), which will be Middle Tennessee's home game. This will mark the first time the Blue Raiders and Vanderbilt have played since 1995. Vanderbilt has only played Middle Tennessee in Murphy Center twice in the program's history.

This season's home game against Tennessee is the continuation of a five-year deal where Middle Tennessee played the first two games of the series in Knoxville. The 2009 game against Tennessee will be in Nashville at the Sommet Center and will part of Middle Tennessee's season-ticket package, followed by a 2010 trip to Knoxville to complete the series. This season's Tennessee game marks the first visit by the Vols to Murphy Center for a regular-season contest. Tennessee's only other game at Murphy Center was in the NIT in 1988.

"I think scheduling teams like Vanderbilt and Tennessee, even though it is a 3-1-1, is a step in the right direction for us," Davis said. "We do get two games against quality teams from our state at Murphy Center and we also get a game against each team at the Sommet Center that is part of our season-ticket package so it is money-generated games for Middle Tennessee. Sometimes you have to pay the price and go on the road more than you would like but I think it's a starting point and hopefully down the road this will lead to more home games, but this is a start and I'm glad we were able to work with (Vanderbilt coach Kevin) Stallings and (Tennessee coach Bruce) Pearl to get this done."

Making the schedule even tougher is the fact Middle Tennessee will play Tennessee and Vanderbilt within a three-day stretch in November, followed by a home date against Conference USA foe Houston a week later.

"You are talking about Tennessee on Friday and then Vanderbilt on Monday and I don't care who you are that's difficult for any college team in America," Davis said. "It's two great opportunities for our team and then a week later we get a very good Conference USA team in Houston at home, which I believe will be a NCAA Tournament team at the end of the year." After a three-game stretch that includes Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Houston, Middle Tennessee faces Southern Illinois (Edwardsville) before opening the Sun Belt Conference portion of the schedule against Troy, Dec. 11 - its earliest start for SBC play - before facing UT-Martin.

The Blue Raiders will play three games in the Missouri State Tournament, with games against Cal State Irvine, Norfolk State, and Missouri State, before returning to the thick of the league schedule.

"I hope people understand how good our league is getting," Davis said. "The Sun Belt had two teams in the NCAA Tournament last year and Conference USA is a very good league and they had one (Memphis). The Sun Belt is making great jumps so even after the non-conference schedule it's a great opportunity for fans to watch a league that ESPN.com just rated one of the Top 10 most prestigious leagues in men's basketball.

"It's not just the non-conference portion of the schedule that is tough but the conference, too. Sometimes I think people take for granted how tough the conference is. We are not playing in the 25th or 30th-ranked league in the country. We are playing in the Sun Belt, which I think will be between a top 10-to-top 12 league in America this year so you get into league play and it's very difficult."

The Blue Raiders return all five starters and their top eight players from last season's Sun Belt Conference runner-up team. For more information, contact the Middle Tennessee Ticket Office at 898-2103.